CHARLESTON – For a group of local bar band musicians to take on something as epic as the music of Pink Floyd, one of the best-selling recording artists of all time, one may be left scratching their head. How good can this possibly be? Could this be a dumpster fire waiting to happen? If this were any other collection of musicians, your questions would probably be valid. Not with this crew of crazy diamonds.

USFloyd is the real deal, the crème de la crème, the ultimate climax. They are for lack of a better descriptive term; Damn good.

The band focuses on the post-Syd Barrett era of the iconic band and lands firmly on 1994’s Division Bell. From the moment that the band kicked off the show with Shine On You Crazy Diamond until the encore of Run Like Hell, the attention to detail in the masterful guitar work of Chris Amick and Chet Williamson all but stole the show. Both fret-men played with passion and fervor, while complementing each other through a barrage of ear candy bearing tones. Bass man Jeff Anderson effortlessly shined on classics like Money and Another Brick In The Wall while locking in with drummer Greg Fortner and percussionist Tim Carper who played flawlessly while creatively adding their stamp to the music while giving it the respect it deserves.

Background vocalists Sara Renee' and Shay Leftridge were in top form with searing gospel and R&B inspired runs that sent a chill up your spine and, like all great singers; left you wanting more every time they opened their mouths.

On the production side, the projection generated video and still photo clips looked crisp from every angle in the 738-seat theater. The light/laser production was effective but understated and will inevitably grow as the band continues to tour regionally.

Keyboardist Jim Bateman’s tasteful organ tones, piano work and sound effects were spot on and complimented the work of multi-instrumentalist Bob Harrold, who brought down the house with his brass work.

Sound Engineer Jim Raines, as with anything he is involved in, mixed a wonderful show and made many “on the fly” cues that only a pro could pull off.

Lastly, there is vocalist Kevin Mullins, backed by a group of musicians who can hold their own vocally, was simply incredible. Mullins’ whiskey and cigarette rasp and searing, multi-octave vocal range paid fitting tribute to Roger Waters while evoking just enough of Waters’ legendary timbre to be downright creepy in songs like Mother and Wish You Were Here. In essence, USFloyd are worth the price of admission and will have you melting into your seat, comfortably numb.

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